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I’ve been listening to this music again and it reminded me of how great – and underrated! – this musical is. The new tour will be huge, guys. Trust me. 🙂 (I haven’t had too much time to write posts lately, so this is a repost. Never fear, I’ve got posts in my head, so they’re coming.)

“There’s a road calling you to stray.” – ‘The Road Goes On,’ The Lord of the Rings: The Musical

When I tell my friends that there’s a LotR musical, nine times out of ten, they say, “Wait, WHAT?! How can you even have a LotR musical?! It’s impossible!”

Actually, no, it’s quite possible. It’s been done. And it’s amazing.

(Note: I’ve only listened to the soundtrack, which is the foundation of this review.)

The Story

Act I

The half-Elven maiden Arwen sings the prologue, urging those to whom she sings to trust their instincts (“Prologue” (‘Lasto i lamath’)). In the region of Middle-earth known as the Shire, Bilbo Baggins, an eccentric and wealthy Hobbit, celebrates his one hundred eleventh birthday by vanishing from his birthday party, leaving his greatest treasure, a mysterious magic Ring, to his young relative Frodo Baggins (“Springle Ring”) . The Ring is greatly desired by the Dark Lord Sauron, who could use it to conquer the world, and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom in Sauron’s country of Mordor. Frodo and his friends Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took set out along the road that leads out of the Shire (“The Road Goes On”). Meanwhile, the corrupt wizard Saruman also desires the Ring (“Saruman”).
At the Inn of the Prancing Pony in the village of Bree, Frodo and his friends sing and dance for their fellow guests (“The Cat and the Moon”). With the assistance of the Ranger Strider, the four Hobbits escape pursuit by the Black Riders, servants of Sauron, and safely reach the Ford of Bruinen (“Flight to the Ford”). Awaiting them at the Elven settlement of Rivendell is Arwen, the beloved of Strider, whose true name is Aragorn, heir to the kingship of the Lands of Men (“The Song of Hope”). Arwen’s father, Lord Elrond, calls a Council of Elves, Men and Dwarves at which it is decided that Frodo will carry the Ring to Mordor. The Fellowship of the Ring sets out from Rivendell: Frodo and his three fellow Hobbits, Aragorn, the human warrior Boromir, the Elf Legolas, the Dwarf Gimli, and the great wizard Gandalf the Grey. Arwen and the people of Rivendell invoke the holy power of the star Eärendil to protect and guide the Fellowship on its journey (“Star of Eärendil”). In the ancient, ruined Dwarf-mines of Moria, Gandalf confronts a Balrog, a monstrous creature of evil, and falls into the darkness.

Act II

The Fellowship takes refuge in Lothlórien, the mystical realm of Galadriel, an Elven lady of great power and wisdom (“The Golden Wood”, “Lothlórien”). As their journey south continues, Boromir attempts to take the Ring from Frodo; Frodo and Sam flee from the rest of the Fellowship, and Boromir falls in battle. Gandalf returns in time to intervene at the Siege of the City of Kings, where the Lands of Men are under attack by the forces of Saruman and the Orcs of Mordor (“The Siege of the City of Kings”). Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam are joined on their journey by Gollum, a twisted creature who long possessed the Ring and desires to have it for his own again. As they approach Mordor, Frodo and Sam sing to each other about the power of stories (“Now and for Always”). Gollum is moved by their song, but the evil side of his personality asserts itself and he plans to betray the Hobbits (“Gollum/Sméagol”).

Act III

If Aragorn can defeat the forces of evil and reclaim the kingship of Men, he will receive Arwen’s hand in marriage (“The Song of Hope” (Duet)). Galadriel casts spells to protect the forces of good in the final battle (“Wonder”, “The Final Battle”). Frodo, Sam and Gollum reach Mount Doom, where the Ring is destroyed when Gollum takes it from Frodo and falls into the fire with it. Aragorn becomes King and marries Arwen (“City of Kings”), but Frodo, wearied by his quest, and the great Elves must leave Middle-earth forever and sail to the lands of the West (“Epilogue (Farewells)”). Bidding farewell to their friend, Sam, Merry and Pippin resume their lives in the Shire (“Finale”). (from Wikipedia)

As you can see, LotRM follows the book and, in some cases, is more true to it than the movie trilogy. In some ways, however, it’s a little different. For instance, there is no Eowyn character (or Faramir – and all the Faramir Fans say, “Nooooooo!”), and the roles of Theoden and Denathor have been combined. (I know, right?) However, other than that, the story is the same. It’s really amazing how they pulled it off on stage, in front of a live audience, for 492 performances.

Unfortunately, the musical tanked due to money and budgeting issues and a few minor accidents on set. As one reviewer put it, “Stripping away the beautiful sets, lavish staging, seventeen lifts and three revolves, LotRM was at its base level a confused, plodding, dull selection of scenes from the books – with the occasional moment of brilliance, just as a reminder of how good the show could have been. The challenge of adapting all three books (over nine hours worth of film) into one three hour long stage show (incorporating songs and circus style staging) was simply too great – and the result was plain for all to see.” It was a huge job to undertake, and I think everyone involved should be commended for their efforts.

The Music

I discovered LotRM in early 2008, bought the soundtrack soon afterward, and have been hooked on it ever since. The tunes get stuck in my head – which is delightful – and I’ve been trying to master the many fiddle solos in ‘The Cat and the Moon’ ever since. My sister and I bought several highlights from the album, which I will review below. If you only have a short amount of time to “try out” this musical, I’d recommend these songs.

‘The Road Goes On’ is one of the first songs in the musical. It starts out with Frodo and Sam, then Merry and Pippin join in, then the Elves and Rangers join in, and it just gets bigger and bigger.

‘The Cat and the Moon’ is the song that Frodo and the other hobbits sing at The Prancing Pony, and it’s one of the most toe-tapping songs I’ve ever heard. My siblings and I have done many a jig to this song, and my brother and I have even played it and danced around a fire once. It’s that kind of song.

‘Lothlorien’ is another favorite. Legolas starts it, then he is joined by the other elves. Galadriel (wonderfully played by Laura Michelle Kelly, of Mary Poppins: The Musical fame) comes in for a solo in the beginning of the second verse. (The first day I was able to hit all of her high notes, I nearly jumped for joy!)

‘Now and For Always’ is arguably my favorite song in the entire soundtrack. It depicts the friendship between Frodo and Sam to perfection.

‘Star of Earendil’ is one of my new favorites. It wasn’t among the “highlights” that my sister and I bought, but it definitely should have been. It’s Arwen’s solo and quite beautiful.

‘Wonder’ is the last of my favorites. It’s one of Galadriel’s solos and such a pretty song. (It’s one of my go-to songs when I feel like I need to sing something big and powerful.) ‘Shine forever, beacon of light! Blaze in the air, vanquishing night!’

In Conclusion

Although the musical didn’t do very well, I commend everyone’s efforts. Ever since I first heard about the musical, I’ve wanted to see it. When it officially closed in 2008, I was heartbroken. However, now that it’s being revived for a world tour, I’m looking forward to seeing it! (WOOT!!)

This musical is highly, highly recommended and I think every true Tolkiendil should see it – or, at the very least, listen to the music.

“A Short-Cut To Mushrooms” is nearly over. *sniffle* We’ve had such a great time planning this and making our plans a reality, and we hope that you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have. It’s been a marvelous experience for both of us (although we do have a list as long as the road to Mordor of things to do “after NaNo, after the blog party” :P).

But wait! It’s not quiiiiiite over yet. It’s now time to unveil the “special surprise” we’ve been telling you about! You see, we discovered that we have the same music book: a book of violin pieces from the LotR movies, with piano accompaniments (we both play violin, and Eowyn plays piano as well). So we got this crazy idea of putting one of the pieces together, and, somehow, we managed to work it out. Eowyn recorded the piano and sent it to Jane, who recorded the violin and sent it back. Then Eowyn made a video to match it.

So without further ado, may we present “In Dreams” by Miss Jane Bennet and Eowyn!

(At the time of the writing of this post, Eowyn is sick and can’t figure out how to post the video. So you’ll just have to run on over to Miss Jane’s blog and see it there! Terribly sorry.)

And now, we really are saying good-bye, so we’ll close this with one of the most gorgeous quotes in the entire trilogy.

“And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air
and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

Personal message from Eowyn to Jane:

Thank you, dearest Jane, for giving me the opportunity to do this – especially the fact that I’ve been able to do this with YOU! I have had SUCH a blast – as you probably know from all the emails that have passed between us! I especially can’t believe we did ^THAT^. Gracious SAKES, it’s been a whirlwind of fun! We definitely need to do something huge like this in the future – oh, wait. WE ARE. 😀 Can’t wait to continue our friendship, knowing that, together, we’ve done something as crazy and fun as this. I also can’t wait to see what God has for your future with your writing, violin-playing, and everything else you’ve got going on!

Congratulations on your new status as Supergirl, Gollum. You absolutely and most positively deserve it!!! The video below is for you, girl.

Well. Today is the 13th of December, the day which LotR fans, Hobbit geeks, Tolkiendils, and fantasy lovers have been waiting for since…since birth. (Sorry! ;))
Actually, since December 14th, 2012, when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out. Yes, today is the day on which The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is coming out, and we are both tremendously excited. As in, TREMENDOUSLY EXCITED!!!

This is what we’re doing right now. For a different reason, of course. 😉

Neither of us are getting to see it right away (Eowyn has to wait until later today, and Miss Jane has to wait a WEEK ;P), but we’re still celebrating today because that’s when it’s coming out and available to watch. We’ll both be keeping out an eager eye for reviews. We’re enthusiastic about Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug in particular, and about seeing (hearing?) him and Martin Freeman interact, because
we’ve been watching some of Sherlock recently. And if he demands silence in any way, shape or form, we’re going to be thrilled to tears. Martin Freeman we KNOW will be good, so we certainly don’t need to worry about him, but we’re super excited (we need a thesaurus ;)) about him as well.

Eowyn loved and was enraptured by the first Hobbit movie; Miss Jane took some persuading, seeing as she wasn’t too interested in LotR (Note from Jane: Don’t kill me! Please! ;P) when Journey came out. But now, we’re both practically hyperventilating over the awesomeness of it all; this has fulfilled 364 days of waiting, and we’re hoping that it will live up to our expectations (it WILL. It’s just not possible for this movie to not be good.), and we’re already looking forward to the third movie next year… So happy Hobbit-release day!! 🙂

“There’s a road calling you to stray.” – ‘The Road Goes On,’ The Lord of the Rings: The Musical

When I tell my friends that there’s a LotR musical, nine times out of ten, they say, “Wait, WHAT?! How can you even have a LotR musical?! It’s impossible!”

Actually, no, it’s quite possible. It’s been done. And it’s amazing.

(Note: I’ve only listened to the soundtrack, which is the foundation of this review.)

The Story

Act I

The half-Elven maiden Arwen sings the prologue, urging those to whom she sings to trust their instincts (“Prologue” (‘Lasto i lamath’)). In the region of Middle-earth known as the Shire, Bilbo Baggins, an eccentric and wealthy Hobbit, celebrates his one hundred eleventh birthday by vanishing from his birthday party, leaving his greatest treasure, a mysterious magic Ring, to his young relative Frodo Baggins (“Springle Ring”) . The Ring is greatly desired by the Dark Lord Sauron, who could use it to conquer the world, and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom in Sauron’s country of Mordor. Frodo and his friends Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took set out along the road that leads out of the Shire (“The Road Goes On”). Meanwhile, the corrupt wizard Saruman also desires the Ring (“Saruman”).
At the Inn of the Prancing Pony in the village of Bree, Frodo and his friends sing and dance for their fellow guests (“The Cat and the Moon”). With the assistance of the Ranger Strider, the four Hobbits escape pursuit by the Black Riders, servants of Sauron, and safely reach the Ford of Bruinen (“Flight to the Ford”). Awaiting them at the Elven settlement of Rivendell is Arwen, the beloved of Strider, whose true name is Aragorn, heir to the kingship of the Lands of Men (“The Song of Hope”). Arwen’s father, Lord Elrond, calls a Council of Elves, Men and Dwarves at which it is decided that Frodo will carry the Ring to Mordor. The Fellowship of the Ring sets out from Rivendell: Frodo and his three fellow Hobbits, Aragorn, the human warrior Boromir, the Elf Legolas, the Dwarf Gimli, and the great wizard Gandalf the Grey. Arwen and the people of Rivendell invoke the holy power of the star Eärendil to protect and guide the Fellowship on its journey (“Star of Eärendil”). In the ancient, ruined Dwarf-mines of Moria, Gandalf confronts a Balrog, a monstrous creature of evil, and falls into the darkness.

Act II

The Fellowship takes refuge in Lothlórien, the mystical realm of Galadriel, an Elven lady of great power and wisdom (“The Golden Wood”, “Lothlórien”). As their journey south continues, Boromir attempts to take the Ring from Frodo; Frodo and Sam flee from the rest of the Fellowship, and Boromir falls in battle. Gandalf returns in time to intervene at the Siege of the City of Kings, where the Lands of Men are under attack by the forces of Saruman and the Orcs of Mordor (“The Siege of the City of Kings”). Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam are joined on their journey by Gollum, a twisted creature who long possessed the Ring and desires to have it for his own again. As they approach Mordor, Frodo and Sam sing to each other about the power of stories (“Now and for Always”). Gollum is moved by their song, but the evil side of his personality asserts itself and he plans to betray the Hobbits (“Gollum/Sméagol”).

Act III

If Aragorn can defeat the forces of evil and reclaim the kingship of Men, he will receive Arwen’s hand in marriage (“The Song of Hope” (Duet)). Galadriel casts spells to protect the forces of good in the final battle (“Wonder”, “The Final Battle”). Frodo, Sam and Gollum reach Mount Doom, where the Ring is destroyed when Gollum takes it from Frodo and falls into the fire with it. Aragorn becomes King and marries Arwen (“City of Kings”), but Frodo, wearied by his quest, and the great Elves must leave Middle-earth forever and sail to the lands of the West (“Epilogue (Farewells)”). Bidding farewell to their friend, Sam, Merry and Pippin resume their lives in the Shire (“Finale”). (from Wikipedia)

As you can see, LotRM follows the book and, in some cases, is more true to it than the movie trilogy. In some ways, however, it’s a little different. For instance, there is no Eowyn character (or Faramir – and all the Faramir Fans say, “Nooooooo!”), and the roles of Theoden and Denathor have been combined. (I know, right?) However, other than that, the story is the same. It’s really amazing how they pulled it off on stage, in front of a live audience, for 492 performances.

Unfortunately, the musical tanked due to money and budgeting issues and a few minor accidents on set. As one reviewer put it, “Stripping away the beautiful sets, lavish staging, seventeen lifts and three revolves, LotRM was at its base level a confused, plodding, dull selection of scenes from the books – with the occasional moment of brilliance, just as a reminder of how good the show could have been. The challenge of adapting all three books (over nine hours worth of film) into one three hour long stage show (incorporating songs and circus style staging) was simply too great – and the result was plain for all to see.” It was a huge job to undertake, and I think everyone involved should be commended for their efforts.

The Music

I discovered LotRM in early 2008, bought the soundtrack soon afterward, and have been hooked on it ever since. The tunes get stuck in my head – which is delightful – and I’ve been trying to master the many fiddle solos in ‘The Cat and the Moon’ ever since. My sister and I bought several highlights from the album, which I will review below. If you only have a short amount of time to “try out” this musical, I’d recommend these songs.

‘The Road Goes On’ is one of the first songs in the musical. It starts out with Frodo and Sam, then Merry and Pippin join in, then the Elves and Rangers join in, and it just gets bigger and bigger.

‘The Cat and the Moon’ is the song that Frodo and the other hobbits sing at The Prancing Pony, and it’s one of the most toe-tapping songs I’ve ever heard. My siblings and I have done many a jig to this song, and my brother and I have even played it and danced around a fire once. It’s that kind of song.

‘Lothlorien’ is another favorite. Legolas starts it, then he is joined by the other elves. Galadriel (wonderfully played by Laura Michelle Kelly, of Mary Poppins: The Musical fame) comes in for a solo in the beginning of the second verse. (The first day I was able to hit all of her high notes, I nearly jumped for joy!)

‘Now and For Always’ is arguably my favorite song in the entire soundtrack. It depicts the friendship between Frodo and Sam to perfection.

‘Star of Earendil’ is one of my new favorites. It wasn’t among the “highlights” that my sister and I bought, but it definitely should have been. It’s Arwen’s solo and quite beautiful.

‘Wonder’ is the last of my favorites. It’s one of Galadriel’s solos and such a pretty song. (It’s one of my go-to songs when I feel like I need to sing something big and powerful.) ‘Shine forever, beacon of light! Blaze in the air, vanquishing night!’

In Conclusion

Although the musical didn’t do very well, I commend everyone’s efforts. Ever since I first heard about the musical, I’ve wanted to see it. When it officially closed in 2008, I was heartbroken. However, now that it’s being revived for a world tour, I’m looking forward to seeing it! (WOOT!!)

This musical is highly, highly recommended and I think every true Tolkiendil should see it – or, at the very least, listen to the music.

Who is Aragorn? Aragorn is a slightly awesome (well, okay, completely awesome) character. He also goes by the name of Strider and happens to be the true king of all Middle-Earth.

This by itself is pretty exciting and if that was all there was to Aragorn, I would probably still like him. But there’s so much more to his character.

For one thing, he’s wise and powerful. He has an amazing elfin sword, he knows the Elven tongue and he has a very large amount of knowledge at his command. Plus, he knows the ways of battle and he’s a good strategist.

For another, he has a sense of humor. Who can deny that with this quote? Gimli: It’s true you don’t see many dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance, that they are often mistaken for dwarf men. Aragorn: [whispering] It’s the beards.

–The Two Towers (2002)

I knowww…Aragorn can smile?! ;P

One of the most admirable aspects of his character, in my opinionanyway, is the way he treats Eowyn. He’s not oblivious to herlove (like Marius), nor does he prattle on about his love in herpresence (again, like Marius). Instead, he delicately lets herknow that his heart is engaged elsewhere. Also, he feels forher, as he says himself:

“Few other griefs amid the ill chances of this world have more bitterness and shame for a man’s heart than to behold the love of a lady so fair and brave that cannot be returned.”

–Aragorn, The Return of the King

But he’s not completely far away from all things material- he loves Arwen with all his heart. He tries to urge her not to give up her immortality for him, but when she does it anyway, I know that he’ll do his best to protect and provide for her as long as they both live.

He’s extremely brave, even in the face of death or disgrace. When his little armies are faced by the huge forces of Sauron, he goes forward anyway, after doing his best to make sure the women and children of Gondor are protected. He’s willing to sacrifice anything for the safety and peace of Middle-Earth.

However, he’s not exactly perfect either. He makes mistakes and can be reckless and foolhardy. He doesn’t always make the best choices and he’s slow to trust. He can be proud and disdainful of help.

“My friends. You bow to no one.”

-The Return of the King (2003)

Aragorn can also be humble, and he always respects true worth. For example, when he is crowned King of Middle-Earth, he could have easily forgotten the Fellowship of the Ring. Instead, he honors and praises them, and he actually kneels down before Frodo and Sam because of what they’ve done.

“If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. ”

–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

He’s loyal; he’d give up his life for any member of the fellowship. He’d prevent evil from befalling anyone in Middle-Earth if he could, which brings me to another aspect of his character: he’s self-sacrificing. He would– and does– try to protect any random stranger he happened to meet if they were in danger (assuming, of course, that they aren’t a minion of Sauron), and he’d be prepared to lay down his life for them. Although he’s reserved, he can also be warm and friendly, and easily wins people’s hearts (including mine, obviously).

Aragorn is one of my favorite characters in LotR. He’s a very worthy king and man, with a good heart and a keen mind. He always tries to protect the people he loves and destroy evil. He’s tactful and chivalrous as well as merciful.

Merry and Pippin have one of my favorite friendships ever. They’re an amazing team and provide a lot of humor and good plain hobbit-sense. How? Well, I’m going to do as Eowyn did in her earlier post and take a look at them both individually and together.

Merry is cool-headed, experienced, rather wise, and not afraid to speak his mind if it needs to be said. He can be somewhat cold and cautious on occasion, but more often than not he turns out to be right.

He’s loyal, brave, responsible, and has a lot of character and willpower, as well as being very sensible. (His real name also happens to be Meriadoc, which I find rather fun.)

Pippin is pretty much the opposite of Merry. He’s naïve (well, not always), somewhat reckless, gives into temptation easily, and tries to stay on everyone’s good side. However, he definitely isn’t all bad, or even part bad! He’s smart, quick-thinking, humorous, and always optimistic. For example, his “group” is facing the entire army of Sauron, and this is what he says: “We’ve got the White Wizard – that’s got to count for something!”

And of course, he’s right- he’s never unreasonably cheerful, and he can recognize the gravity of a situation most of the time.

Now, how do they do both together? Extremely well, providing a mixture of comic relief and impressive bravery. They’re very different; Merry plans ahead and Pippin takes things as they come, Merry doesn’t like to take chances but Pippin doesn’t think about odds, &c.&c. But this difference makes them a very good team. Merry keeps Pippin from rash schemes and scolds him when he does something that could endanger them (like the Palantir incident), and Pippin lightens up Merry and gets them out of several tricky situations.

They also care about each other deeply, like brothers. When Merry is badly injured while helping Eowyn fight the Witch King, Pippin finds him on the battlefield and, deeply concerned, immediately takes him to the Houses of Healing with no thought for his own danger.

However, it isn’t all great acts of heroism and moral lessons. They can be hilarious too- their way of pointing out the obvious, easy solution to a problem and their different views on the same subject always makes me laugh, as well as their ability to sit down and joke (and smoke a pipe) in the midst of danger and distress.

One of the things that illustrates their friendship extremely well in in The Return of the King. Merry has sworn himself to the King of Rohan (Theoden), and Pippin has promised loyalty to the Steward of Gondor (Denethor). The two leaders are somewhat on opposite sides, but Merry and Pippin, while still remaining loyal to their respective masters, remain friends. They tease each other about protecting their lords from the other hobbit, but inside, they know that they’ll always be friends, no matter what happens.

Which leads to an interesting question (and off on a tangent…sorry!): if Merry and Pippin were in opposing armies, what would they do? Would they avoid fighting each other and just attack the rest of the army? Would they quit? Would they do something amazingly heroic and manage to stop the whole war (my personal opinion, hehe…)? I’m not really sure what they’d do, exactly, but I do know that they would never battle each other like that, because relationships matter a lot to them.

So that’s why I like and admire Merry and Pippin and their friendship. They’re willing to make huge sacrifices for each other and the other people they care about. They are a wonderful team, restraining and yet encouraging each other, but they’re also brave and valiant when by themselves. I find this especially admirable, that although they want to get back to their hobbit-holes and tobacco, they’re both willing to go through hardships and suffering for the cause of a friend.